As used herein, the term “service” generally refers to an application which performs a function for a device using a platform. A service may include, for example, displaying specified data, or sending data to a device. International Telecommunications Union (ITU) specification 1.312 describes the service creation process in an intelligent network as including several steps: (1) designing the service; (2) developing, implementing, and documenting the service; (3) rigorously testing the service; and (4) activating and using the service. This service creation process is typically performed-offline. It is also complex and time consuming. The Telecommunications Information Networking Architecture (TINA) describes a similar service creation process. For additional details on the TINA service creation process, see “Overall concepts and principles of TINA”, version 1.0, issued 17th Feb. 1995, or “TINA-C Glossary of Terms”, version 2.0 (January 1997), both of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Services are generally created by owners of the platform on which a device receiving the service operates, rather than by the user of the service. For example, a telephone carrier may provide a service enabling customers to define calling groups. While the customer, i.e., the user of the service, can define who is part of a calling group, or configure the service, the customer is not permitted to define the service enabling this access, i.e., the customer is not permitted to define the calling group service itself. Rather, the long distance carrier, or the mobile telephone service provider, i.e., the platform owner, creates the service. Similarly, if an investor desires to sell a security when it reaches a specific price, the investor communicates the desired service request to a broker who may then implement a service to automatically initiate a sale transaction when the security reaches the specified price. The beneficiary of the service, the investor, is not the service creator.
Thus, an end-user of a service is generally provided only with service configuration capabilities, as distinguished from service creation capabilities. Service configuration includes specifying values for a pre-defined service and unlike conventional service creation processes, may be performed on-line. For example, Internet portals, such as Pointcast™, or Yahoo!™ allow Internet users to configure the services they subscribe to. If a Pointcast™ user subscribes to a service to automatically send daily news and securities pricing information, the user may configure the service by indicating which news subject areas and securities should be included in the daily delivery. Similarly, the mobile Internet portal of Yahoo!™ (mobile.yahoo.com) allows users to subscribe to services for receiving e-mail, news, financial information, etc. on a mobile device, such as a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA) device. A user may configure the service by indicating which information to receive.
Because conventional service creation processes are complex and time-consuming, they do not support rapid creation of new, and customized services. Customized services, or services tailored to the desires of an end-user of the service, are undoubtedly more appealing to end-users because they will be tailored to meet the needs of the user. Most end-users do not have the knowledge or time required to design, develop, test, and implement services. Further, most end-users do not have the necessary platform accesses to introduce a service onto a platform.
Accordingly, a need exists for a manner of allowing an end-user of a device to create a service for the device without intervention from the platform owner.